Rotary driving amusement equipment

ABSTRACT

A rotary-driven amusement device in which passenger bearing carriages traverse an endless and circuitous generally spiraling railway track. The device is mounted on a rotary support table and has a portion of the endless track disposed in an upwardly spiraling fashion at the center of the rotary table and up which the carriages are traversed by engagement of the carriages with peripheral portions of a concentrically inwardly disposed vertically oriented, reellike pushing frame, responsive to relative rotation between the rotary table-mounted track and the pushing frame. The pushing frame is preferably also mounted on the rotary table and is driven at variable speeds in an opposite direction to the table rotation, although the pushing frame in a different embodiment may be mounted stationary to a separate base or to the ground while the table is made to rotate relative thereto. The endless railway further includes a generally downwardly spiraling more outwardly disposed undulating and irregularly circuitous portion which interconnects with the top and bottom of the aforementioned centrally disposed upwardly spiraling portion. The table in operation is usually continuously rotating and has a selectively stop and start annular rotary passenger loading-unloading walkway disposed outwardly concentric with the rotary table. The rotary walkway is selectively rotatable to synchronize its speed and its access and discharge gates thereon, with those corresponding thereto on the rotary table so that the passengers may be safely loaded and unloaded with rotary support table. The passengers may also disembark from the carriages at the top to view the surrounding scenery from an observation platform thereat.

United States Patent Kojima 15] 635,185 [451 Jan.18, 1972 [54] ROTARY DRIVING AMUSEMENT EQUIPMENT Masayoshi Kojima, 0saka-fu, Japan [73] Assignee: Sanseiyusokl Co., Ltd., Osaka, Japan 22 Filed: Jan.9, 1970 [211 Appl.No.: 1,773

[72] lnventor:

Primary Examiner--Drayton E. Hoffman Assistant Examiner-D. W. Keen Attorney-Wenderoth, Lind & Ponack [5 7] ABSTRACT A rotary-driven amusement device in which passenger bearing carriages traverse an endless and circuitous generally spiraling railway track. The device is mounted on a rotary support table and has a portion of the endless track disposed in an upwardly spiraling fashion at the center of the rotary table and up which the carriages are traversed by engagement of the carriages with peripheral portions of a concentrically inwardly disposed vertically oriented, reellike pushing frame, responsive to relative rotation between the rotary table-mounted track and the pushing frame. The pushing frame is preferably also mounted on the rotary table and is driven at variable speeds in an opposite direction to the table rotation, although the pushing frame in a different embodiment may be mounted stationary to a separate base or to the ground while the table is made to rotate relative thereto. The endless railway further includes a generally downwardly spiraling more outwardly disposed undulating and irregularly circuitous portion which interconnects with the top and bottom of the aforementioned centrally disposed upwardly spiraling portion. The table in operation is usually continuously rotating and has a selectively stop and start annular rotary passenger loading-unloading walkway disposed outwardly concentric with the rotary table. The rotary walkway is selectively rotatable to synchronize its speed and its access and discharge gates thereon, with those corresponding thereto on the rotary table so that the passengers may be safely loaded and unloaded with rotary support table. The passengers may also disembark from the carriages at the top to view the surrounding scenery from an observation platfonn thereat.

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3 a H m INVENTOR ATTORNEYS ROTARY DRIVING AMUSEMENT EQUIPMENT This invention relates to rotary-driven amusement equipment wherein an intricately irregularly bent and inclined spiraling railway is generally circularly disposed and upon which passenger carriages are driven to traverse said railway.

In prior art conventional recreation facilities of this sort, the carriages were run on fixed rails. In the amusement equipment of this invention, however, the carriages are gravity driven along a downwardly inclined intricately meandering and undulating endless railway provided on a rotary table and a reellike framework which rotates together with the railway, with the result that this equipment can provide the passengers with greater amusement than in the case of carriages running on the fixed railway. Another object and advantage of the present invention is to provide for the elevating of the carriage to be effected with improved ease, in that the carriage which has descended after running on the railway is subsequently readily elevated along a more centrally disposed upwardly spiraling elevating railway by means of a relatively oppositely rotating frame engaging said carriage and also provided on the rotary table.

All the foregoing and other effects of this invention are achievable by the combination and function of the various parts constituting each segment of the invention, and the particulars thereof are elucidated by the detailed description appearing hereinafter, as well as the drawings annexed hereto, in which:

FIG. 1 is an elevation view showing the entire view of the equipment according to the invention;

FIG. 2 is a generally vertical cross-sectional and elevational view of the equipment of the invention;

FIG. 3 is a top plan view of the equipment of the invention;

FIG. 4 is an enlarged elevational view showing the central part of the rotary table, with some parts omitted for clarity;

FIG. 5 is a horizontal cross-sectional view as taken substantially on line 55 of FIG. 4; and

FIG. 6 is a fragmentary, horizontal cross-sectional detail view of a portion of the carriage pushing frame shown on an enlarged scale.

The invention consists basically of a rotary table, an endless railway provided thereon, and a pushing frame with which to elevate the carriage.

In the illustrative drawings, the numeral 11 designates a disk-shaped rotary table which is supported upon bearing 12 at its center, and rotatable therearound, and is further supported by a plurality of wheels 13 disposed radially under the rotary table, as shown in FIG. 2, and said wheels 13 being placed so as to run on a circular ring rail 14 provided on the ground concentric with or centering upon the bearing 12.

Suitable driving means are provided beneath said rotary table 11 and include a large internally toothed ring 15 centering on the bearing 12, which ring gear 15 is engaged, preferably by at least a pair of oppositely disposed drive gears 17, fixed respectively to the output axis of a pair of speed reducers 16 having the input axis of the respective reducers 16 each driven by a motor 18.

A rotary passenger access ring 19 is provided concentrically at the outer periphery of the rotary table 11 and has a plurality of wheels 20 provided circumferentially thereunder for supporting same rotatably upon a circular rail 211 which is concentric with the aforementioned rail 14, whereby the rotary ring 19 can rotate at the outside of the rotary table Ill. This rotary ring 19 can be driven by a suitable driving apparatus which may be substantially the same as that for the rotary table, although not shown in the drawing.

A circular skirt wall 22 is provided to outwardly enclose rotary ring 19, and extends from the horizontal level of the rotary ring 119, preferably down to the ground, to esthetically conceal the tracks and related drive and support structures.

Loading and discharging platforms 23 are provided at two places on the outside of the wall 22, preferably as shown in FIGS. 2 and 3, each of said platforms 23 being provided with a staircase 24 leading onto the ground.

As seen in plan view, arcuate-shaped segments of floorboards 25 are fixed at two places on the rotary ring 19. Handrails 26, 27, 28 and 29 are provided on the inside and outside and at both ends of each said floorboard 25, and entrances 30 and 31 are provided at the opposite ends of the handrails 26 and 27. The said floorboards 25 are preferably on a level with the rotary table ill and the platforms 23.

The lower part of a vertically disposed, reellike pushing frame 32 is mounted for rotation about its central axis upon lower bearing 33 as provided generally on the upper surface of and coaxially with the rotary table II. The pushing frame 32 is further similarly supported at its upper center by a bearing 36 disposed on the upper framework members of a supporting frame 34 fixed upon the rotary table 111.

A gear 37 (FIG. 4) is fixed to the outer periphery of the lower part of the pushing frame 32 and engages with a gear 39 fixed to the output axis of a reducer 38 provided on the rotary table 11 with the input axis of the reducer 38 being driven by a motor 40 which is also mounted on the rotary table 11. Consequently, the pushing frame 32, as centered between and upon the upper and lower bearings 36 and 33, is rotatably driven by the motor 40, so that the rotation thereof is in the opposite direction to that imparted to the rotary table.

An endless railway is provided upon the rotary table 11 upon which to run carriages. The said railway includes two more centrally disposed parallel upwardly and preferably uniformly spiraling carriage elevating rails 41 adjacent the outer periphery of the central pushing frame 32. Rails 41 are centered within said supporting frame 34 as illustrated in FIG. 4. Said rails 41 are also supported by arms 42 provided on the frame 34.

The foregoing carriage pushing frame 32 is illustratively provided with four vertical supporting pillars 43 regularly spaced at a uniform distance from the center, as shown in FIG. 5. Each of these pillars 43 basically comprises two parallel pipes 44 having a metal plate or belt 45 welded to both sides thereof to form a generally flat cross section as illustrated in FIG. 6. Each pillar 43 is arranged so as to push or engage a roller 48 revolvably fitted to the end of a shaft 47 which is erected on the side rear part of each carriage to be placeable on the rails 41.

The apparatus is so arranged that the rotation of the pushing frame 32 against the rails 41 is such as to effect pushing of the carriage 46 (FIG. 5) along the rails 41 to climb upwardly along the spiral form thereof, i.e., in the illustrated case, the rotation of the pushing frame 32 is counterclockwise, while the rotation of the rails 41 with the rotating table is clockwise.

Between the upper end and the lower end of the aforementioned elevating rails 41 an extended downwardly inclined section of railway 49 is provided, down which the carriages coast. The section of railway 49 comprises two identical parallel rails appropriately fixed to the rotary table 11 by means of pillars 50 and brackets 51, and disposed so that they intricately meander and undulate in an irregular spiral form while slop ing downwardly as a whole, with the result that a carriage which has entered upon the coasting railway section 49 from the top of the elevating rails 41, rolls down along the portion of railway 49 by the force of gravity until it reaches the lower end of the elevating rails 41. Furthermore, suitable brakes for the carriage are provided at appropriate intervals along the coasting railway section 49 so as to prevent tail end collisions of the various free-running carriages. One arrangement includes means to sense when a rear carriage approaches or closes upon a carriage in front of it closer than a predetermined or fixed distance, and includes means to automatically apply the brakes to the wheels of the rear carriage.

It is understood that the wheels of the carriage 46 are so fitted to the rails 41 and 49 that they will never derail, and the rails 41 and 49 are canted or sufficiently banked at sharp turns so that the coasting carriages will not run off the track.

The rotary table 11 comprises a generally spider web type framework, as is clear from the plan view of FIG. 3, wherein further arcuate-shaped floorboards 52 are preferably fixed at two places to the table 11 and preferably flush with the floorboards 25 on the rotary wing 19.

Each of the said floorboards is provided with suitable handrails 55 throughout the entire periphery thereof, except for the external entrance and for access to the staircase 54.

The staircases 54 at the end of the respective floorboards 52 respectively lead to platforms 56 provided at two areas disposed slightly higher than the floorboards 52. Each platform 56 is disposed adjacent a very shallow down grade along a straight part at the lower portion of the coasting railway 49, it being so arranged that each carriage 46, when it arrives at the said portion, is halted by an appropriate brake or stopper, and then after the passengers have alighted the brake or stopper is released, whereupon the carriage commences to further coast slowly down the down grade toward the lower end of the spiral rails 41.

in a preferred embodiment of the invention, the rotary table 11 is constantly rotated at a fixed speed in the clockwise direction viewed from above, while the pushing or carriage elevating frame 32 at the center is constantly rotated in the opposite direction to that of the rotary table 11. Consequently, if the rotating speed of the pushing frame 32 is maintained identical with that of the rotary table 1 l, the pushing frame 32 will effectively be rendered stationary relative to a point on the ground. For the purpose of boarding passengers, the rotary ring 19 is held stationary and oriented so that the entrance way 31 on the outside of the floorboard 25 faces the platform 23 to give the passengers access onto the floorboards 25 of ring 19. Said rotary ring 19 is then gradually rotated in the same direction until its rotative speed is synchronized with that of rotary table 11, whereupon the passengers are able to safely walk onto floorboard 52 of the rotary table 11 through the entrance 30, after the entrance 53 of the floorboard 52 has been oriented to coincide with the entrance 30 of the floorboard 25.

In the illustration of FIG. 3, however, the platform 56 on the right is intended exclusively for alighting, while the platform 56 on the left is intended exclusively for boarding. The passengers who alight from a carriage which stopped at the platform 56 on the right proceed on to the righthand floorboard 25 through the right-hand staircase 54 under conditions where the respective floorboards 52 and 25 and the entrances 53 and 30 are correctly relatively oriented. The passengers then proceed out to the right-hand platform 23 through the righthand entrance 31, while each vacant carriage 46 after having discharged the passengers at the right-hand platform 56 halts again at the left-hand platform 56 to pick up the passengers who have arrived at the left-hand platform 56 through a similar procedure.

The carriage 46 carrying the passengers, upon release of the brake, then begins to coast toward the base of spiral rails 41 due to the downward slope. The carriage then comes to a temporary standstill at the lower end of said rails 41 because of their upward slope, whereupon subsequently carriage 46 commences to climb or be pushed along the upwardly spiraling elevating rails 41 responsive to the carriage mounted roller 48 which enters below the rails 41 being engaged by the pillar 43 of the pushing frame 32, and further due to the contrarotation of the pushing frame 32 and the rotary table 11 carrying the rails and carriage.

Once the carriage 46 reaches the top of the spiraled elevating rails 41, as described above, said carriage 46 moves onto the downwardly sloping coasting railway portion 49 and thereafter commences its gravity activated meandering run until it arrives and stops at the right-hand platform 56.

Each carriage carries passengers by repeating the aforedescribed cycle of operation. At various portions of the overall downwardly inclined trackway 49 there are some rising gradients and sharp turns provided strategically to effectively vary the speed of the running carriage 46. Moreover, because the rails 41 and 49 rotate together with the rotary table 11, the passengers experience a further unique and pleasant thrill of excitement enhanced by an unusual change of the surrounding scenery. Accordingly, it is apparent that this invention evolves far more interesting pleasure equipment as compared with the known conventional recreation facilities of a similar kind.

The description has referred to an instance wherein the independently driveable pushing frame, as mounted on the rotary table 11, and the table 11 can be made to rotate respectively in opposite directions and at identical or substantially identical speeds, whereupon the pushing frame 32 is maintained relatively stationary to the ground. However, the same effect is obtainable in a further contemplated but less preferred embodiment by fixing the pushing frame 32 on the ground and enabling the rotary table 11 to rotate therearound.

Furthermore, it is contemplated that the pushing frame 32, as revolvably fitted to the rotary table 11, can be rotated in the opposite direction to the rotary table 11 at a different speed instead of at an identical speed, as in the case of the aforementioned embodiment. In conclusion, an important facet is to rotate the pushing frame contrary to the rotation of the rotary table 11 so as to effectively elevate the carriage 46 with ease via the elevation rails 41 on the rotary table 11.

Accordingly, a uniquely novel and improved amusement device has been evolved which achieves the objectives and advantages as referred to at various places throughout the disclosure, and reference should be made to the appended claims for a definition of the combinations claimed.

I claim:

1. A rotary driven amusement device in which at least one passenger-carrying carriage traverses an endless generally spiraling-railway, said device comprising, in combination:

a. a rotary support table having a center axis and means for rotating said table about said axis;

b. a first portion of said railway being constituted by upwardly spiraling carriage-elevating rail means supportingly mounted at the central part of said rotary table;

c. an upright pushing frame having a central axis and disposed concentrically with the rotary table axis, and having a plurality of carriage-engaging means extending radially from its axis a distance sufficient to operatively engage said carriage when sitting on said rail means at the base of said upwardly spiraling portion of said rail means to thereby drive said carriage up to the top of same responsive to rotation of said rotary table relative to said pushing frame;

d. said railway further including between the bottom and top of said upwardly spiraling carriage-elevating portion, a second portion of irregularly inclined and more outwardly irregularly spiraling undulating circuitous rail means also supportingly mounted on said rotary table and down which said carriage traverses by gravity; and

e. said second portion rail means further having intermediate portions of varying degrees of inclinations and turns, and also having near the respective bottom and top thereof portions which are relatively straight and only very slightly inclined from the level which interconnect with the respective bottom and top portions of said centrally disposed carriage elevating rail means.

2. A rotary driven amusement device as defined in claim 1 in which the pushing frame includes means for mounting it at the central part of the rotary table, but unconnected therewith and affixed to the ground.

3. A rotary driven amusement device as defined in claim 1 further including a selectively stop and start annular walkway for loading and unloading passengers, means mounting said walkway for rotation outwardly and concentrically relative to said rotary table; and means for rotating said walkway at variable speeds including the ability to synchronize its speed with said rotary table, the relationship and relative rotation of said walkway being in a manner to facilitate safe passenger ingress to and egress from said carriage while maintaining uninterrupted rotation of said rotary table.

4. An amusement device as defined in claim 1 wherein said centrally disposed upward spiraling rail means is spirally disposed at a substantially uniform diameter, said pushing frame being in the form of an open reellike cylinder and a framework supported on said table and surrounding said reellike pushing frame and the upwardly spiraling rail means and said framework including means operatively supporting said rail means and pushing frame at various points throughout their vertical extent.

5. A rotary driven amusement device as defined in claim 1 further including means for mounting said pushing frame upon for rotation with said rotary table, and further includes drive means for rotating said pushing frame thereon at variable speeds, but in the opposite direction to that of the rotary table.

6. A rotary driven amusement device as defined in claim 5 further including a selectively stop and start annular walkway for loading and unloading passengers, means mounting said walkway for rotation outwardly and concentrically relative to said rotary table; and means for rotating said walkway at variable speeds including the ability to synchronize its speed with said rotary table, the relationship and relative rotation of said walkway being in a manner to facilitate safe passenger ingress to and egress from said carriage while maintaining uninterrupted rotation of said rotary table.

7. An amusement device as defined in claim 5 further including a plurality of carriages traversing said rail means, and brake means for automatically applying brakes to successively following carriages coasting down the second portion rail means to preclude rear end collision by rear following carriages.

8. An amusement device as defined in claim 5 wherein said first and second rail means portions of the railway include a pair of uniformly laterally spaced rail tracks which are properly banked at the respective turns thereof and said carriages include rotary generally free-running wheels which cooperatively mate and attach with said rails to preclude detachment of said carriages from said rails during their traversing of said railway.

9. An amusement device as defined in claim 5 furtherincluding observation platform means near the top of said device with means to facilitate passengers to alight from and to reboard said carriage at the upper very slightly inclined portion of the second portion rail means.

10. An amusement device as defined] in claim 5 wherein said pushing frame and carriage include cooperative means for facilitating more efficient operative engagement therebetween when in operation to effect driving said carriage along the upwardly spiraling first portion rail means, said cooperative means hereof including a freely rotatable antifriction roller mounted on said carriage, and a roller-engaging surface extending vertically the height of said carriage-elevating first portion rail means, said roller engaging surface being mounted upon and constituting a part of said carriage engaging means extending radially from said pushing frame. 

1. A rotary driven amusement device in which at least one passenger-carrying carriage traverses an endless generally spiraling railway, said device comprising, in combination: a. a rotary support table having a center axis and means for rotating said table about said axis; b. a first portion of said railway being constituted by upwardly spiraling carriage-elevating rail means supportingly mounted at the central part of said rotary table; c. an upright pushing frame having a central axis and disposed concentrically with the rotary table axis, and having a plurality of carriage-engaging means extending radially from its axis a distance sufficient to operatively engage said carriage when sitting on said rail means at the base of said upwardly spiraling portion of said rail means to thereby drive said carriage up to the top of same responsive to rotation of said rotary table relative to said pushing frame; d. said railway further including between the bottom and top of said upwardly spiraling carriage-elevating portion, a second portion of irregularly inclined and more outwardly irregularly spiraling undulating circuitous rail means also supportingly mounted on said rotary table and down which said carriage traverses by gravity; and e. said second portion rail means further having intermediate portions of varying degrees of inclinations and turns, and also having near the respective bottom and top thereof portions which are relatively straight and only very slightly inclined from the level which interconnect with the respective bottom and top portions of said centrally disposed carriage elevating rail means.
 2. A rotary driven amusement device as defined in claim 1 in which the pushing frame includes means for mounting it at the central part of the rotary table, but unconnected therewith and affixed to the ground.
 3. A rotary driven amusement device as defined in claim 1 further including a selectively stop and start annular walkway for loading and unloading passengers, means mounting said walkway for rotation outwardly and concentrically relative to said rotary table; and means for rotating said walkway at variable speeds including the ability to synchronize its speed with said rotary table, the relationship and relative rotation of said walkway being in a manner to facilitate safe passenger ingress to and egress from said carriage while maintaining uninterrupted rotation of said rotary table.
 4. An amusement device as defined in claim 1 wherein said centrally disposed upward spiraling rail means is spirally disposed at a substantially uniform diameter, said pushing frame being in the form of an open reellike cylinder and a framework supported on said table and surrounding said reellike pushing frame and the upwardly spiraling rail means and said framework including means operatively supporting said rail means and pushing frame at various points throughout their vertical extent.
 5. A rotary driven amusement device as defined in claim 1 further including means for mounting said pushing frame upon for rotation with said rotary table, and further includes drive means for rotating said pushing frame thereon at variable speeds, but in the opposite direction to that of the rotary table.
 6. A rotary driven amusement device as defined in claim 5 further including a selectively stop and start annular walkway for loading and unloading passengers, means mounting said walkway for rotation outwardly and concentrically relative to said rotary table; and means for rotating said walkway at variable speeds including the ability to synchronize its speed with said rotary table, the relatIonship and relative rotation of said walkway being in a manner to facilitate safe passenger ingress to and egress from said carriage while maintaining uninterrupted rotation of said rotary table.
 7. An amusement device as defined in claim 5 further including a plurality of carriages traversing said rail means, and brake means for automatically applying brakes to successively following carriages coasting down the second portion rail means to preclude rear end collision by rear following carriages.
 8. An amusement device as defined in claim 5 wherein said first and second rail means portions of the railway include a pair of uniformly laterally spaced rail tracks which are properly banked at the respective turns thereof and said carriages include rotary generally free-running wheels which cooperatively mate and attach with said rails to preclude detachment of said carriages from said rails during their traversing of said railway.
 9. An amusement device as defined in claim 5 further including observation platform means near the top of said device with means to facilitate passengers to alight from and to reboard said carriage at the upper very slightly inclined portion of the second portion rail means.
 10. An amusement device as defined in claim 5 wherein said pushing frame and carriage include cooperative means for facilitating more efficient operative engagement therebetween when in operation to effect driving said carriage along the upwardly spiraling first portion rail means, said cooperative means hereof including a freely rotatable antifriction roller mounted on said carriage, and a roller-engaging surface extending vertically the height of said carriage-elevating first portion rail means, said roller engaging surface being mounted upon and constituting a part of said carriage engaging means extending radially from said pushing frame. 